Forums » Elder Scrolls

11/11/11: Taking stock four years out

    • 694 posts
    November 12, 2015 10:14 AM EST

    So for those of you not wrapped up in the Fallout launch right now (and according to the poll that's about half at 48% right now) I realized yesterday that it's been exactly four years since Skyrim's release. That's a fairly long shelf-life! So I thought I'd ask:

    • What were your first thoughts when the game was released? Have your opinions changed over time and how?
    • Have you ever come back to a game as consistently as Skyrim?
      • What other games are they and what makes them worthwhile for you?
    • What do you remember most about your first playthrough?

    • 411 posts
    November 12, 2015 10:29 AM EST
    When skyrim was released My thoughts were it was slightly dumbed down but overall a good game
    I have played daggerfall more then skyrim
    And what I remember most about my first playthrough is a mudcrab scaring the shit out of me.
    • 1441 posts
    November 12, 2015 10:31 AM EST

    I was excited, hmm, aside from the Fallout games, KOTOR, for one, and moreso nostalgia and fun, and I remember making the first character, and exploring

    • 295 posts
    November 12, 2015 10:42 AM EST

    I didn't play the game when it was first released, but my sister's son got it. I was with her at Gamestop to pick up the package. He got the deluxe package with that beautiful tabletop book. He didn't read the book, but I did. I also saw the trailer on TV was like any trailer with Max von Sydow cannot be bad. I started playing 2013 when on a whim I got the game on sale. I think I can look at it objectively, however. There are problems with it, but not so severe that I'd put the game away. The stupid parts make me laugh. With Requiem installed, there are parts that are legitimately thrilling. 

    I have not played a game ever so consistently nor have I played one for so long. 

    Playing a bosmer sneak archer and NOT doing either the thieves guild or the dark brother hood. Running around Helgen for a good 15 min because I had no idea where to go (first game ever with a controller). Sneaking everywhere. Carrying about 7000 quest items cause I didn't trigger the quest the right way. Marrying Marcurio for his sassy attitude, only for him to turn into a complete sap and then get totally messed up by bandits. The warzone that was Lakeview manor (strewn with the bodies of dragons, bandits, giants, spiders, wolves, necromancers, skeletons) and my kids and their pet mudcrab because evidently, Meeko wasn't good enough for them.

    Marcurio:"this place is so safe, dear..."

    My bosmer: *kills Elder dragon* "Where's my money from the store?"

    Unable to complete dawnguard because I just couldn't leave Kharjo (Marcurio's replacement) behind. Yes, I actually reloaded. Unable to complete Dragonborn because of a bug just before the final quest. *face palms*.

    Alduin, Alduin, Alduin! 

    • 694 posts
    November 12, 2015 10:44 AM EST

    And have your thoughts on it changed much at all? That is, the more you've played it has your opinion changed? As you explored more or whatever did you feel like there were other layers of complexities that made up for it in some ways, even if the lore was lacking?

    I'm envisioning you almost falling out of your chair as a mudcrab just like sleepily stands up, reaches out, and pinches ya. 

    • 694 posts
    November 12, 2015 10:45 AM EST

    What was the profile of your first character like? What were the first factions you had to join?

    • 288 posts
    November 12, 2015 10:45 AM EST

    1) None. I didn't know there was such a game until the early 2012. As for the opinions - one could say that Skyrim improved my opinion on the whole TES franchise which I (before) believed was going downhill after Daggerfall. Eventually that lead to me preordering and playing some ESO.

    2) I still "come back" to my favourite games from the 90's such as Star Control 2 and the Quest for Glory series. I also played World of Warcraft for close to 8 years, but I don't know if that counts as it's an MMO. The game in my past that comes closest to Skyrim in terms of longevity of playing and specific role in my gaming needs is probably Diablo 2.

    3) Probably the endless Dwemer dungeons....and the powerful feeling of crafting my very fist own full Daedric gear

    • 133 posts
    November 12, 2015 10:56 AM EST
    My first thoughts were something like this...

    "Ooooh, I love the setting. Have I been captured? I wonder how I'll make my escape. There's a lot of guards here. Yes, character creation! Are they talking about me? Put my head on the what? HOLY SH*T!!! A DRAGON?! THIS EARLY IN THE GAME?! Okay... Let's do this!"

    My first playthrough was one of the most amazing experiances I've had on a game. Everything was so new, new places to explore, new things to kill. I loved pretty much everything. I've never been so attached to a game before in my life and is, to this day, one of my favourite games, (which is a very difficult goal to accomplish.) Since then I've played oblivion and when I get myself a good PC I'm gonna get Fallout 4, (which is looking like it's going to join Skyrim in my 'Favourite games of all time category') and Morrowind.

    The thing I remeber most about my first playthrough is being chased through the forests of the rift by a dragon with trusty Lydia.

    Overall I've spent above 500 hours on Skyrim. At least. Hell, it may be closer to 1000 now!
    • 277 posts
    November 12, 2015 11:00 AM EST

    When I first read about the game I said to myself: "Those cat men look stupid.". I was new to the Elder Scrolls universe at that time. Nevertheless, I decided to give Skyrim a chance and started the typical sword and board Nord dragonborn. I usually go for ranger characters in the beginning, but I was influenced by the trailer. I had a pretty rough start. I entered Haemar's Shame at level 4 where I died multiple times, got Lydia killed & resurrected by a vampire. I also contracted vampirism there. I didn't realize the disease gave me weakness to fire so when I was attacked by a dragon on my way to the greybeards, again I died a lot! Of course, my bad luck spree didn't end here. I became a stage 4 vampire while walking the streets of Windhelm, in broad daylight, surrounded by patrolling guards. At that time, I had no idea you can feed on people to blend in. I managed to get myself cured and I decided afterwards to go dragon hunting. Unfortunately, my new decision led me to bring my then level 7 character to Sheerpoint. Boy, ow boy, Krosis sucker punched me so hard. I rage quit Skyrim and took a break from the game. I came back a few weeks later, reloaded an earlier save and started doing Thieves Guild quests. Shortly after, I became a sneak archer and proceeded to explore every place in Skyrim and complete every quest. 

    • 694 posts
    November 12, 2015 11:04 AM EST

    OMG the quest items... yeah that was a hallmark of my first go 'round too. "Oooo what's this thing? Wait. Wait. What do you mean I can't put this thing ANYWHERE??" Subsequent playthroughs... "Nnnnope. Nope nope nope. Def-in-it-ely not touching that thing." Same exact thing with discovering the bugs too. So. Many. Reloads. 

    Marcurio:"this place is so safe, dear..."

    My bosmer: *kills Elder dragon* "Where's my money from the store?"

     Oh Marc... Back to work! And make me some dinner while you're at it.

    • 694 posts
    November 12, 2015 11:33 AM EST

    I've still gone back to some of my favorite older games from the 90s too. It's fun to do from time to time, but it's usually more nostalgic than anything else. Over the last few years, I've tended to not go back to more recent games (once I'm done, I'm done) but I think it's because there are still so many new things that I want to play that I'm ready for the next game on my list. If I keep going backwards that list is only going to keep getting longer.

    The Dwemer dungeons. Holy shit. The very first one I went into I couldn't believe how big it was. I got to a point where at every door I kept thinking "This HAS to be the way out." 

    • 404 posts
    November 12, 2015 12:04 PM EST

    one of my first playthroughs was a Nord named after me, he was my exploring the game type of character. my other was Jake The Orc and he is still around as my companion.

    • 1441 posts
    November 12, 2015 12:26 PM EST

    He was a Breton Spellsword, and I oddly enough, joined the Companions for better gear, and some Septims

    • 1441 posts
    November 12, 2015 12:28 PM EST

    You didn't like Morrowind?

    • 288 posts
    November 12, 2015 12:57 PM EST

    I never played Morrowind at the time it came out. Or maybe I downloaded it years after it's release and something didn't quite get me.......I honestly don't remember.

    To be honest I really have no idea why I had this impression about ES going downhill, I just remember that I did have it and I went into Skyrim waiting to be disappointed......but I wasn't.

    • 1217 posts
    November 12, 2015 1:15 PM EST
    I hated the idea of Skyrim when it first released. I had very very briefly played Oblivion before that and disliked it, but I didn't know they were part of the same series. I just didn't see why people would want to whack stuff with a sword in a first person game XD. I maintained that until about 2 years ago (woah, has it really been that long?) until a roommate rented it one weekend. I ended up paying more for the rental than he did because I played it so much, and the rest is history XD.

    I've come back to New Vegas as, if not more, consistently.

    What I remember most about that first playthrough was trying to do everything in one go XD.
    • 694 posts
    November 12, 2015 1:16 PM EST

    HOLY SH*T!!! A DRAGON?! THIS EARLY IN THE GAME?! Okay... Let's do this!

    I had exactly the same reaction! I was pretty much thinking, "well this is great, my head is on a chopping block, there's a dragon looking at me, my hands are tied, I'm unarmed anyway, and I don't even know how to stand up right now." Thankfully the devs had the foresight to at least put me on my feet. 

    • 485 posts
    November 12, 2015 1:42 PM EST

    Still play it almost as often as I did when I first got it. Still working on builds for the game. The game has limitless replay value. 

    • 77 posts
    November 12, 2015 1:47 PM EST

    1.  Initially I wasn't impressed with TES games.  I've seen my brother playing Morrowind and Oblivion and I was never really impressed.  I thing it was real time fighting in an RPG that turned me off, I was used to JRPG turn based combat and couldn't imagine navigating menu's in real time.  So I didn't give Skyrim much thought when it was released.  I ended up getting it about 2 years ago for like 15 bucks used.  I was looking for a new game, I had just finished DragonAge and was looking for a replacement.  The clerk at the store was gushing over this game, so I figured I see what the fuss was about, his exact words were "you're in for a treat" truer words have never been spoken.

    2.  There are a few favorites that I've replayed over the years.  However, none of them have as many hours of my life as Skyrim does.  The closest would be Xenogears I have played through that game at least six times, the story and the characters just resonated with me.  It is the only contender with Skyrim for the top of my favorites list.  Aside from RPG's I've spent a lot of time playing the Tenchu series and have beaten the first three games at least a dozen times each.  Who doesn't love ninja's right?

    3.  Walking in the woods for two real time hours picking flowers...in a video game!?

    • 367 posts
    November 12, 2015 2:19 PM EST

    I thought about how I can answer this without being my usual boring self... Trouble is I can’t.

    I first started playing TES with Morrowind. That game blew me away, the graphics at the time, the quests. NPC’s going about their routine daily lives.

    What really caught my eye with Oblivion was when I killed a skeever near the river. The way the body rolled down the bank was awesome.

    Skyrim... Oh there was so much. Bleaks fall Barrow, the view of it when you escape Helgen. You just KNOW that will be your first adventure. My first enchanted blade was an axe with soultrap. Surely I was blessed by Hircine. (Doubly blessed when I met Aela and it was her who opened up the plains to me.

    My first playthrough, this is where I tread my usual path. Once I completed the Companions quest line, it actually took me around two months to break away from the plains and explore elsewhere.

    My first solo kill. A wolf.

    My first follower, Aela.

    The werewolf form, when Aela and I went off and I could become a werewolf. Morrowind Bloodmoon had nothing on that.

    Greatest moment, charging into Fort Greymoor in my werewolf form. (First time I had a mod where Aela was in her female werewolf form too) Two werewolves giving it hell.

    Still play Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim... When TES 6 comes out I will just add it to the list.

    • 694 posts
    November 12, 2015 5:43 PM EST

    Well then it's a good thing you came back to it, considering your build track record.  I love the retelling of your first playthrough. You remember it in such detail! Awesome.

    • 9 posts
    November 12, 2015 8:26 PM EST

    I was going to like this post but then I saw it had exactly 11 likes.... Im not touching that like button with a 10 foot pole!

    • 100 posts
    November 13, 2015 1:14 AM EST
    First thoughts: What do you mean you saved over my character? What do they mean that PS3 can't have more than a few hours of save-game before it starts crashing? What do you mean by "need sleep"?

    No way have I ever put so much time into a singular game, and I doubt I ever will again.

    I literally remember nothing about my first play through. I played for like 24 hours before letting a buddy start a character, which he then promptly saved over mine xD
    And then I recall waiting for a patch that let Ps3 players actually progress beyond a few hours in-game, yet playing a thousand tiny characters in the mean time. Oh Skyrim. Oh, oh Skyrim, oh.
    • 277 posts
    November 13, 2015 1:56 AM EST
    Yeah, good memories. :)
    • 122 posts
    November 13, 2015 3:35 AM EST
    My first impressions of Skyrim was, "Damn, this game looks fine. Such fantasy. Much sandbox. Shame I'm never gonna play it." I now have 3 years of playtime to my name. Everytime I pick up the game and kick it up at Helgen, it feels like a new beginning all over again. It's still the same game, and time hasn't eroded my love for it in the slightest.

    One game that comes to mind regarding replayability is Pokemons Emerald and Black2. Before TES, all my time was devoted to going to catch them all, so you can see why I'd replay it over and over until your emulator breaks.

    My first playthrough was with a Redguard male. I followed Ralof and used that sweet Imperial heavy armor. Never got past level 5. Fond memories were had with him, but what I remember the most is climbing to Bleak Falls Barrow by following the pointer exactly. Meaning I had to struggle up a mountain. Oh, foolish old me.